favour or kindness to them personally. Thus sometimes people speak against those who are put over them in this world's matters, as the King. They say, "What is the King to me? he never did me any good." Now, I answer, whether he did or not, is nothing to the purpose. We are bound for Christ's sake, to honour him because he is King, though he lives far from us; and this all well-disposed right-minded people do. And so, in just the same way, though for much higher reasons, we must honor the Bishop, because he is the Bishop;—for his office-sake;—because he is Christ's Minister, stands in the place of the Apostles, is the Shepherd of our souls on earth, while Christ is away. This is Faith, to look at things not as seen, but as unseen; to be as sure that the Bishop is Christ's appointed Representative, as if we actually saw upon his head a cloven tongue like as of fire, as you may read in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
But you will say, how do we know this, since we do not see it. I repeat, the Bishops are Apostles to us, from their witnessing Christ, and suffering for Him.
1. They witness Christ in their very name, for He is the true Bishop of our souls, as St. Peter says, and they are Bishops. They witness Christ in their station;—there is but one Lord to save us, and there is but one Bishop in each place. The meetingers have no head, they are all of them mixed together in a confused way; but we of Christ's Holy Church have one Bishop over us, and our Bishop is the Bishop of ——. Many of you have seen him lately, when he confirmed in our church. That very confirmation is another ordinance, in which the Bishop witnesses Christ. Our Lord confirms us with the Spirit in all goodness; the Bishop is His figure and likeness, when he lays his hands on the heads of children. Then Christ comes to them, to confirm in them the grace of Baptism. Moreover, the Bishop rules the whole Church here below, as Christ rules it above; and here again the Bishop is a figure or witness of Christ. And further, it is the Bishop who makes us Clergymen God's Ministers. He is Christ's instrument; and he visibly chooses those whom Christ chooses invisibly, to serve in the Word and Sacraments of the Church. And thus it is from the Bishop that the news of redemption and the means of grace have come to all men; this again is a witnessing Christ. I, who speak to you concerning Christ, was ordained to do so by the Bishop; he speaks in me,—as Christ wrought in him, and as God sent Christ. Thus the whole plan of salvation hangs together.—Christ the True Mediator above; His servant, the Bishop, His earthly likeness; mankind the subjects of His teaching; God the Author of Salvation.
